Yep, we missed the starting time out of Santa Rosa, Calif., and had to play catch-up with the rest of the Autoweek America Adventure teams. That was the bad news. The good news is that while we had to forego the mission to the go-kart track in Sacramento, we happened to find a killer Sunday brunch and then had time to take Christina for a spa treatment.

If you find yourself in the Napa region, you might want to consider swinging by the Carneros Ranch, if not for a private and semiluxurious stay in the individual bungalows, then for the Boon Fly Café's signature Bacon Bloody Mary. We being on a drive adventure, and co-pilot Tommy Kendall--a confirmed fishatarian with his dining habits--did not partake. But they looked devilishly satisfying. So we made do with hand-twisted mini donuts and a Mexican breakfast dish called chilaquiles, which was nothing short of extraordinary.

Once back on the road--and having begged organizers to tell us where we might meet up with them--we angled north and east toward Reno. There are few things this monster Mercedes-Benz AMG S63 biturbo can't pass on the road, but a gas station is not one of them. We dropped another $75 in the tank and bought a car wash. Though it was the most anemic automatic car-wash device ever invented, giving Christina a quick rinse only seemed right as she was a bit dirty after being driven for 1,400 miles without so much as a proper primp. We all felt better for it.

The next mission was going to be a blast: Tucked about 20 miles east of Reno is a highway off-ramp called Clark, Nev. It's just the other side of Mustang, for those who know the area. Clark is home to what is being promoted as the world's largest industrial park. The man who owns the 100 square miles, Roger Norman, already has tenants including the Tire Rack and Wal-Mart (whose 1 million-square-foot-facility staggers the imagination when you think of all of the imported goods lined floor to ceiling.) Follow the smooth asphalt road four miles in from the highway, through rolling hills covered in low-lying brush and herds of wild Mustangs, and you reach a trailhead.

Welcome to Wide Open Reno, an off-road driving experience sure to put a smile on anyone's face. Our challenge was straight forward enough--one team member would drive these off-road buggies while the other would compete with TRAXXAS remote control dune buggies in a race in miniature.

We did not fight over who would take which duties. Tommy signed all required waivers to climb into the desert buggy and he waited his turn. This waiting is something that's part of his M.O.: He wants to see what the competition does but also wants to know how to take which corners quickly. Honey Badger knows strategy.

This Wide Open Reno is new to the area--it opened its doors in August--but it makes sense to have it in this high-desert town. For the past 14 years, Wide Open has had arrive-and-drive programs to run in one of the Baja races; have cash, climb cacti. It now is preparing to send a fleet of vehicles out for the Baja 1000 coming up in a couple of weeks. You might remember from Roger Hart's great adventures that there also is a Wide Open Nevada adventure, driving from point-to-point in southern Nevada along state land to tents and rustic cabins for a several-days-long journey. Well, with the man who developed Clark, Nev., a long-standing off-road racer and having this here parcel of land . . .

At the moment a two-and-a-half mile track is carved into the hills, but plans call for that to expand to 10 miles. Heck, right now the crew also takes runs from Reno to Virginia City and back--100 miles in the high-desert country--and they have a gas.

Norman seems to know the recipe for outdoor fun, Nevada style. Not only can you race buggies, a shooting range is right here, too. Bring on the semiautomatic big-caliber machines--and the guns too--and rock and roll. With the hospitality and entertainment of Reno just 20 minutes away, this could take corporate entertainment to a whole other level.

Sadly, we didn't get to shoot anything. We did drive--Tommy was smooth and fast and won the day; I couldn't handle the TRAXXAS RC trucks if my life depended on it. No matter. Honey Badger knew our early-morning miscues had sealed our fate: We were unable to score points for the day. But we had another great time, saw some amazing scenery and will make the day's Halloween run one to remember.

Dutch Mandel
- Dutch Mandel, Autoweek’s editorial director and associate publisher, has been with the company for 29 years. A second-generation car journo, he grew up with exotic cars in the garage. Among his many feats is a chef for a racing team and automotive consultant on the Pixar movie CARS and CARS 2.
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